I woke up early, remembering yesterday with Elizabeth. I had to go to the university, so I got up and took a quick shower. Then I went downstairs to say goodbye to my parents and headed straight to the university.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fkWq6FUB2
It was a bit far from home, so I took a taxi. During the ride, I couldn’t help but look at my phone from time to time, making sure she didn’t need me for anything at the museum. After paying for the trip, I got out of the car and, upon reaching the entrance, I ran into my two friends: Carol and Emma.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwygXeW7BPs
I had known them almost since I arrived in this country, and we always got along well… although, like in any friendship, there were problems. Emma was kind, always willing to help anyone who needed it. Carol, on the other hand, had a tough personality; she stood up to everything and often spoke too much. That got her into trouble from time to time, even among us.
—You finally made it, I thought you weren’t coming —said Carol, with that mix of reproach and amusement in her voice.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmhFIDfZMo
—You know I always let you know when I’m not coming —I replied, a bit tired, but with a smile.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJuykkhoE7
—So…? What was so important that yesterday you didn’t answer any of us? I thought you had gotten lost in the forest —Emma added, laughing with a mischievous tone.
—It was nothing, relax —I said—. I went out with someone I met at the museum. We lost track of time and I was just very tired.
They both looked at me, as if trying to read between the lines, but before they could say more, I grabbed them by the arms and pulled them inside the building. We were running late for class.
The day went by normally. The subjects weren’t difficult for me, and I made sure to study enough to keep up… and a little more. Class after class until the afternoon finally came, around three o’clock.
Emma suggested going to a café and the others agreed. I needed something warm and a very sweet dessert, so the idea was perfect. Emma drove us in her car and we sat at a table.
We ordered our usual drinks, but each of us chose a different dessert: Emma got a muffin, Carol a slice of blueberry pie, and I, without hesitation, a pure chocolate cake. I needed it.
—So… are you going to tell us? —Carol asked, while Emma nodded, curious.
I didn’t give them many details. I didn’t mention that it was a girl I had gone out with; I just told them where we went, what we did, and some of the things we talked about. I wasn’t ready to share everything yet, but just remembering that day made me smile inside.
As I took a sip of my hot drink, I couldn’t help thinking about Elizabeth. All of yesterday seemed to replay in my head: her shy laugh, the way she focused on her words when we talked, and, above all, how she managed to make every small moment feel special without even trying. But something in her awakened an intense curiosity in me, a need to know her more.
From time to time, my fingers unconsciously searched for my phone in my bag. I took it out, looked at it, and put it away again. I wanted to text her, to say something, although I didn’t know exactly what. I just wanted to get a little closer, even if it was through a message. Every time I did it, my heart beat a little faster and a smile slipped out without me noticing.
Carol and Emma talked around me, laughing and commenting on things about the university, but I barely listened. My thoughts were completely occupied with Elizabeth. What would she be doing now? Would she be thinking about something as trivial as I was, or maybe she was at the bar, busy with customers?
Between a bite of cake and a sip of hot chocolate, my fingers brushed the phone screen again. I opened it once more, just to look at her name in the messages, and quickly put it away again. I didn’t want to seem impatient, but I also couldn’t help feeling that something in me was moving every time I thought of her.
Without thinking about it further, I texted her. Six different messages, each more impatient than the last. I didn’t want to say anything special, just to know how she was… although deep down I knew there was something more.
We left the café with our hearts and stomachs full. Outside, the afternoon was falling: six o’clock sharp, and the cool air pushed us to walk for a while. With Emma and Carol, everything was laughter. Emma pretended to cry dramatically so Carol would buy her something at every street stand, and I let myself be carried along by their games, grateful to never be bored with them.
Until, suddenly, I saw it. We were about to pass right by the bar where Elizabeth worked. I hesitated for a moment. Going in to say hello felt out of place; what would I do there, intruding into her world? So I limited myself to looking through the window.
She was there. Radiant in the ordinary, leaning toward a guy who, by his uniform, I guessed was her coworker. I stayed watching longer than I should have, with that pang in my chest that I couldn’t name. My friends kept walking, and I, behind them, felt ridiculous: why did it make me nervous to see her talking to someone else? We barely know each other, I repeated to myself. We barely know each other.
—Isabella.
Emma’s voice pulled me out of my own maze.
—Everything okay? —she asked, looking at me with one eyebrow raised.
—Yeah, everything’s fine… —I said softly—. That’s the person I went out with yesterday.
I took out my phone with the intention of distracting myself, and then I saw it: Elizabeth had replied not long ago. Instantly, all the confusion faded. “Isa.” That’s what she had called me. So simple, so brief, but so intimate. I felt that syllable bring us closer, that somehow she was letting me into her circle. And I smiled, unable to help it.
The walk ended. We said goodbye with jokes and promises to see each other soon, and I headed straight home. It was still early; the silence of the empty house wrapped around me as soon as I walked in.
The phone vibrated. I rushed to check it, hoping it was Elizabeth… but no: it was Carol.
“You looked like you had seen a ghost in that bar. The guy at the bar with the pretty girl, is that who you went out with?”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnhQgzahcj
“I’m sure she’s just a coworker, don’t worry. Besides, you’re prettier than her.”
I stared at the screen for a few seconds. I had never told them that I had gone out with Elizabeth. Carol assumed it: a guy. I sighed and replied quickly, trying not to make her suspect anything else:
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t jealous or anything. And no, she’s much prettier than me hahaha.”
I preferred to leave it at that. There were things that were better to keep to myself.
The walk ended. We said goodbye with laughter and each of us went our own way. I went straight home. It was still early; the silence of the empty house welcomed me as soon as I opened the door.
I left the phone on the table and dropped onto the couch. I felt a strange relief at being alone, as if I needed that space to think. And without looking for it, the image returned: Elizabeth, leaning toward her coworker, smiling. The reflection in the glass, my own figure standing still while my friends kept walking. That knot in my chest.
Why had I felt that? I couldn’t call it jealousy… it would be ridiculous. We had just met. And yet, something in me reacted in a way I didn’t expect. A soft discomfort, almost invisible, but enough to leave me thinking now.
It wasn’t just that I liked her presence; it was the way my attention seemed to seek her even when she wasn’t there. As if just seeing her from afar was enough to stir everything inside me a little. What did that mean? Was it simply curiosity, or something more?
I found myself smiling as I remembered her message. “Isa.” So brief, so simple. But that nickname was enough to make me feel special. As if suddenly there were a bond between us, a small gesture that, without meaning to, made me feel closer. And then I thought that maybe what scared me wasn’t seeing her with someone else, but realizing how much it mattered to me that she called me that.
I sighed. I ran a hand over my face and closed my eyes. It was absurd to think about it so much, I knew. Nothing had been decided yet, there was no story written. And yet, inside me something was beginning to grow slowly, like a seed. A calm but inevitable confusion.
I promised myself not to rush things. To let them flow, to let them settle on their own. Although, deep down, I knew that every word from her, every gesture, was going to stay with me much more than I wanted to admit.
I tried to calm my thoughts and went up to my room. I lay down for a while and ended up falling asleep. I woke up a few hours later, checked the time, and realized that Elizabeth was about to leave work.
Without thinking too much, I called her. She answered almost instantly and we talked for a bit. I told her how happy it had made me that she called me “Isa,” and after a few seconds she said goodbye, telling me she had to catch her bus.
She must have been tired, so I decided to leave her alone. I got up to plug in my phone and lay down again. Tomorrow would be a new day and I had to go to the university.
I woke up early. It was barely seven and, like every morning, the first thing I did was check if I had messages from the museum. This time there were: my day was already starting with good news. They needed me to guide two groups, one at ten and another at one in the afternoon. With that in mind, I took advantage of the calm of the early hours to take a quick shower and prepare some breakfast.
When I went down to the kitchen, the smell of freshly made coffee chased away the rest of my sleep. Mom was there and we chatted for a while; she offered to drive me to work. I accepted immediately, grateful: skipping the wait for the bus gave me extra time, which I used to put on a bit of makeup and text Elizabeth.
“Good morning, Liz. Did you sleep well? Today I have to guide two groups at the museum, if you have free time you can come, only if you want…”
The message flew off to her and, as soon as I sent it, I opened the group chat with Emma and Carol.
“Today I have to work, don’t wait for me.”
With everything ready, I left the house. Mom was already waiting in the car. I got in and we set off.
—Sorry for getting home late yesterday —she said as she started the car—. It got later than I planned. I stopped by to see you, but you were already asleep.
—Don’t worry, I got home tired too —I replied with a laugh—. But now I have too much energy.
—Will you see Liz today? —she asked, glancing at me.
—I don’t know… I told her I had to work, but that she could come to one of the tours —I answered with a smile I couldn’t hide.
—I see you’re excited —she replied with a playful tone—. You could invite her to dinner if you want. I’d like to get to know her a bit more.
I stayed silent. The idea excited me, but part of me knew it was still too soon. Although… was it really? I don’t know. The truth is, I liked imagining her at home, sharing the table, discovering how she behaved in that space so much mine. Maybe that way I could see her more authentic, more free with me.
Eliot was at the entrance. I didn’t greet him and went straight to wait for my group. I checked my phone with some restlessness, looking for a reply from Elizabeth, but there was nothing yet. I wasn’t too worried.
The first tour went normally; I didn’t let anything interfere with my work. They usually last between one and two hours, and this one was in the middle. At the end, I answered some questions from a few people and, when I took out my phone again, I found two messages from Liz, sent just five minutes earlier.
“Sorry I didn’t reply before, I slept too much. It’s been a while since I fell asleep without playing for a few hours first.”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMro7VRPsN
“I’m on my way to the museum, it’s not far at all, so… if what you have until the second tour is free time, there are food stands in front.”
I froze for a moment. I couldn’t believe it: Liz was inviting me to eat. I didn’t reply; I preferred to save my answer for when I saw her. I went over to Eliot to let him know I was going to have lunch with a friend in front of the museum. He didn’t object, he just reminded me to be back for the second tour.
It didn’t take long before I saw her come in. She looked different: loose black pants, a black jacket too, huge, like two sizes bigger, and her messy hair, which I was starting to suspect was part of her style. Even so, she looked incredible.
—Hi, Isa. I came as fast as I could as soon as I saw your message —she said, a bit out of breath, as if she had run. For a moment I worried that she had.
—I’m glad to see you, I was waiting for you —I replied with a smile that slipped out unintentionally.
There was a brief silence before she, a bit flushed, added:
—Shall we go? I’m a little hungry.
We crossed the street together. Luckily, in front of the museum there are usually two food carts: one Mexican and one Thai. We chose some tacos and sat on the nearby concrete seats, sharing lunch under the midday sun.
We chose the tacos and sat on the nearby concrete benches. The seat was cold to the touch, but the sun hitting us from the side made the moment more bearable. People came and went along the sidewalk, some with scarves pulled up to their noses, others with shopping bags in their hands.
—I don’t usually eat this early, but I was too hungry —said Liz, holding the first taco in her hands, still steaming.
—Me neither —I replied, laughing—. Normally at this hour I’m barely having a coffee.
—And how do you prepare for the tours? It must be exhausting to talk for so long.
—I actually like it —I confessed—. It gives me a certain energy to talk about things I’m passionate about, although yes, I end up a bit tired at the end of the day.
Liz smiled and looked down at her plate, as if taking a second to think.
—I’m surprised… I couldn’t. I’m terrible at speaking in public.
—Well, I guess it’s a matter of practice —I said, watching how the sunlight reflected on the edge of her jacket—. At first I got nervous too, but then it becomes natural.
She looked at me for a moment, with that calm expression that always seemed to hide something more. And for a moment, the noise of nearby traffic, people’s voices, and even the cold of the bench seemed to fade away. It was just the two of us, sharing tacos on a random corner, and even so, the moment felt special to me.
—I’m glad you texted me today —she suddenly said, breaking the calm.
—Oh, really? —I asked, trying to sound casual, although I felt the heat rise to my cheeks.
—Yeah. Sometimes I get too lost in my own things, and days go by without me noticing. But today… —she paused for a second, as if searching for the words— today I needed to get out of my routine a bit.
I kept watching her. The sunlight lit up her profile, and the wind messed up her bangs without her doing anything to fix it. She seemed comfortable in her messiness, as if nothing worried her too much, and it surprised me how much I was attracted to that light confidence.
—Well, I’m glad you came —I finally replied. And it was true. Her presence made the cold feel lighter, made even that concrete bench feel like a pleasant place.
For a moment we stayed silent again. It wasn’t uncomfortable. On the contrary: it felt like a silent pact, as if words weren’t entirely necessary.
In that moment I understood that what had confused me days before wasn’t jealousy or insecurity, but something simpler and deeper: the certainty that I liked being close to her.
Liz set the taco wrapper aside and leaned back a little against the bench. Her cheeks were still flushed from the cold, and her eyes seemed to shine with a calm that disarmed me.
—I didn’t think it would be this good —she commented, looking at the street stand as if she wanted to memorize the place.
—See? There are always good options in front of the museum —I replied, smiling.
There was a brief pause, and I saw her play with the long sleeves of her jacket. It was a simple gesture, but there was something shy in it that I didn’t usually notice in her.
—Honestly… I like this —she said softly.
—What do you mean? —I asked.
—Spending time with you. It’s… different.
I didn’t know what to reply right away. I felt a tickle in my stomach, a mix of happiness and nerves, as if someone had discovered a secret I hadn’t confessed.
I glanced at the time on my phone and sighed.
—We have to go back… The next tour starts in a few minutes.
Liz nodded slowly, without protesting, and that gave me a bit of courage. I stood up from the bench and the words slipped out almost clumsily:
—Hey… I was thinking that… if you want, later… you could come to dinner at my place.
I froze, as if the cold air had suddenly become more intense. I noticed my hands trembling a little as I adjusted my coat, and I looked down, unable to hold her gaze for too long.
—I mean… only if you feel like it, of course —I added, trying to hide the awkwardness.
The silence that followed felt eternal, even though it was only a few seconds.
I didn’t give her time to answer and went to get ready to start the tour. Today it was harder than usual; not because the work itself was complicated, but because I couldn’t stop thinking about what she was going to answer. I acted without thinking and, as we made stops in every corner of the museum, my body and my words moved automatically, but my mind was somewhere else.
The tour was long. There were many questions, and at some moments I thought it would never end. As always, at the end, people came up to congratulate me or ask for more information, but my eyes were on her.
And I felt more and more confused. Only a few days had passed, but I couldn’t think about anything other than Liz. Was it really just curiosity what I felt?
A few minutes after everything was completely over, I approached her. Her expression was serious, implacable. Without wasting time, she said:
ns216.73.217.110da2
and then Add to home screen.